


The Man with Two Hearts lives Forever

by rhaegartheconqueror



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Rhaegar Won, Dom/sub Undertones, Everyone Is Alive, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, King Rhaegar Targaryen, Knotting, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Misunderstandings, Multi, OT3, Politics, Queen Elia Martell, Queen Lyanna Stark, Rhaegar Targaryen Lives, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:34:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24222151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhaegartheconqueror/pseuds/rhaegartheconqueror
Summary: r/e/la/b/o (guess who just found out what this was????????)Rhaegar wins AU + on top of everything they have to deal with BIOLOGY
Relationships: Elia Martell/Lyanna Stark/Rhaegar Targaryen, Elia Martell/Rhaegar Targaryen, Lyanna Stark/Rhaegar Targaryen, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 66
Kudos: 72





	1. Far Away

CRUNCH

The bones of Robert’s hand broke under Rhaegar’s foot as Robert let out a yowl of pain. Rhaegar was breathing hard, his chest heaving, as he stared down at the man that started this war that no one had wanted.

It would be so easy to kill Robert now and Rhaegar is so so very tempted. Words could not describe the hatred he felt for this man. A fool and warmonger greedy for all the things that weren’t his. He should kill Robert.

But he doesn’t. Lyanna, kind-hearted and forgiving as she was, had asked him not to. The thought of his mate has him reaching up, with the hand that wasn’t holding a sword at Robert’s neck, to touch the mating gland on his neck. It prickled.

There were two scars there, one only some months old, was Lyanna’s bite. The other, was an older one, 3 years old, was from his first wife, Elia of Dorne. Rhaegar clenches the sword in his hand more tempted than ever to kill his cousin. If it weren’t for what Robert did his sweet Elia and their babes would not have had to go through so much trouble.

He grinds his foot into Robert’s hand but does nothing more. He had promised his love that he would not.

…

He leaves almost immediately for Dorne, to head to the tower, where Lyanna was waiting for him.

Robert is the only prisoner of war being taken back to the capital. The other soldiers, bannermen of the Winterfell, Stormlands, Riverlands, and the Vale are left alone. Rhaegar ensures that they are, though a few men in his Father’s troops and the Dornishmen grumble, they obey him nonetheless.

He writes a short letter for Elia, in coded words just in case, telling her of his victory, updating her quickly on the political situation here, and assuring her that he would be home soon. His last line tells her that he loves her and that he hates being away.

He folds up the letter and passes it into the hands of one of the few men in his father’s army that he trusted. 

And then he leaves.

…

He is exhausted by the time he reaches the Tower of Joy having traveled straight through for many days and nights so eager to get back. It had taken him a little longer than a month to return.

But when Lyanna jumps in his arms he finds all his fatigue washed away.

“Rhaegar oh!” Lyanna is pressing kisses to his face and neck the moment Rhaegar dismounts.

His wife oh she smelled so good. She smelled of pine needles, the smoke of northern redwoods, and of winter flowers. It was intoxicating.

He grips her waist and takes in a deep breath of her before harshly grabbing her chin and forcing his tongue into her mouth. Lyanna welcomes him battling his tongue with the same ferocity.

The kiss ends sooner than either of them want but they would not be apart anytime soon and Rhaegar still needed to greet the Kingsguard that were here as well.

Everyone, the Kingsguard and Rhaegar and Lyanna, sit and eat a combination of a late lunch/early dinner together, in the main room of the tower. They talk for a long while as Rhaegar tells them of what was going on.

The Kingsugard leave to make preparations as the plan was to leave the next night and then its just Rhaegar and Lyanna.

Lyanna straddles his lap the moment they are alone. She moves to continue their kiss from before entwining their tongues together as she rocks in his lap. Rhaegar groans. After the war and all the travel he is weary and grateful for some pleasure.

He tangles his calloused fingers through Lyanna’s hair yanking her head back when they pull apart to breath.

“Ah, Rhaegar”

Rhaegar takes minute to admire her exposed neck eyes linger on her mating gland where the scars of his bite can be seen. _Mine._

He leans forward and licks her scar running his tongue over her gland. Lyanna moans and Rhaegar can feel her getting increasingly wet as she grinds her core on his crotch. Her reactions bring a grin to his face.

He sticks his hand down her dress giving her breast a squeeze. “Ah” Lyanna trembles in his lap. Her breasts have been tender for the last 4 months since she had gotten with child. Rhaegar squeezes her breasts a few more times before releasing her to help her undress.

Lyanna lays on her back and spreads her legs shyly glancing at Rhaegar with a blush on her face. It endears Rhaegar’s heart.

Her core glistened with slick showing how ready she was for him. His dragonblood was singing as he positioned himself at her entrance.

“My wolf is so ready for me hmm? Are you ready for your dragon?” he asks teasingly rubbing his hard cock up and down the entrance of her cunt but not entering. His question makes Lyanna _gush_. Rhaegar gathers up her slick in his hand and rubs it onto his cock ensuring he was well lubricated before he enters her.

Then he licks his hand clean savoring the taste of his winter wolf. She was heady like a northern ale. Rhaegar feels like he could get drunk on her. Perhaps he already was. Lyanna whimpers bucking wildly against him trying to get him inside her already.

Rhaegar likes it so very much but he doesn’t want her to exhaust herself. He grips her neck gently exerting only a little pressure. His thumb digs into her gland.

“Stay still for me my little wolf” he orders with an Alpha push behind his words. She stills immediately.

“ _Please please please Rhaegar I need you inside Rhaegar my prince, my king, Alpha, my dragon please”_ Lyanna’s speaks fast words interspersed with little groans.

Her begging goes straight to his cock and makes him want to slam into her with reckless abandon. But he controls himself with a quick squeeze of her neck.

“ _I know what you need._ ”

He moves to take his hand away but Lyanna reaches for it pressing kisses filled with unspoken gratitude to the callouses his sword had left. Rheagar is thankful for her appreciation in a sad sort of way. Neither of them had wanted this war.

He presses a flutter of kisses to the swell of her belly before entering her. He smiles at the thought that his little dragon-wolf was in there. _Visenya._

He moans in delight at how tight she was around him. He enters slowly pausing every inch or so to allow her to adjust. He did not want to risk any harm to the babe.

Neither of them last long after Rhaegar picks up the pace. Lyanna climaxes first clenching wonderfully on his cock bringing him to finish soon after. The base of his cock swells as he finishes, expanding in Lyanna, and keeping him locked in her. They would be stuck together for about an hour or so until his knot deflated.

Rhaegar rolls to the side, adjusting their position, and pulling Lyanna into him.

The heat of the Dornish night makes Rhaegar dream of another woman.

In his dreams, at least, Elia is happy to see him to see him and Lyanna.

…

They leave a few hours earlier than planned Rhaegar eager to return to King’s Landing for obvious reason.

Arthur rides out first to ensure the trail was safe. The rest of them finish packing everything into the little covered wagon that they had.

Rhaegar and Lyanna ride inside, hidden, while ser Gerold, under the guise of being a poor merchant, drives the wagon. Oswell trails them from a distance away as the rear guard.

Rhaegar and Lyanna are silent as they watch the tower where they had experienced so much joy fade into nothingness as they rode away.

Lyanna wants to ask Rhaegar if they can come back again one day, in the future after everything has settled down, but she doesn’t. She already knows the answer. This was not their place, no, this was not her place, for her to come back to whenever she pleased. This was Dorne, homeland of Elia Martell, Rhaegar’s other mate.

Maybe they can come back with Elia one day? Lyanna would like that. From when they had met at Harrenhal, and through the letters they had exchanged after, Elia seemed to be a pretty person inside and out with a wicked sense of humor. Lyanna could understand why people like Oberyn Martell and Ashara Dayne, who were noted to be a _little_ improper, seemed to enjoy her company so much. She hadn’t even been upset with Lyanna about the crown incident telling her it was no fault of hers. Rhaegar had even told her that Elia had told him she liked her!

But this was all before everything had happened. Perhaps Elia’s thoughts about her had changed. Lyanna hoped they hadn’t.

A familiar guilt and melancholy mixed in with a small sense of fondness (that Lyanna knows she wasn’t allowed to have) settles in her stomach as she thinks of the Dornish princess. 

Rhaegar must have sensed a shift in her mood because he is pulling her into his lap concerned “are you alright? Do you feel sick?”

Lyanna goes to answer but for some reason the words stick in her throat and don’t come out.

There is a two breath pause before Rhaegar asks, with a pained expression on his face, “should we stop the wagon and rest for a bit?”

“NO no” Lyanna says. Stopping would only make their journey longer and keep Rhaegar away from Elia and the children for longer. Lyanna doesn’t want that and she knows Rhaegar doesn’t want that either.

“Are you sure?” Rhaegar asks looking grateful. Lyanna nods “I’m okay I’m okay.”

Rhaegar gives her a small smile gently rubbing the swell of her stomach where their babe was and presses a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you.”

They ride in silence for a while as Lyanna works up the courage to broach the topic she really wanted to discuss.

Rhaegar had spoken just 3 sentences (that everyone is fine, Aegon had been born successfully, and Elia managed to prevent Rickard and Brandon’s death) about his children and his other wife since he had come back from King’s Landing and the war.

There was so much more that Lyanna wanted to ask but all the questions she wants to ask and all the things she wants to say, they form a lump and stick in her throat, so she says nothing at all.

…

Kings’ Landing, The Red Keep, **FOUR WEEKS AND SIX DAYS AFTER THE BATTLE AT THE TRIDENT (Rhaegar is nearing the end of his journey back to the tower at this point)**

Elia was going to be sick. The Lannister army was at the gates trying to force their way through. The smell of unfamiliar sweaty alphas who hadn’t bathed in a while combined with the stench of King’s Landing was a truly noxious smell.

Elia did not know why the Lannister bannermen and Tywin Lannister himself were here but it could not be good. Rhaegar had won the war. He had won. She keeps repeating those thoughts in head trying to calm herself down.

“Rhaenys” Elia called peeking into the rooms as she dashed through the hall Aegon in her arms. “Rhaenys come here now” she scolds the empty air worry making her upset and angry. She takes in deep open-mouthed breaths hoping to catch a hold of her daughter’s scent.

“Rhaenys!”

She eventually finds her daughter hiding under her father’s bed scared. Elia gathers her up in her arms anger gone at the sight of Rhaenys’ face. She takes a few seconds to comfort her daughter before gathering her up and running to the throne room.

As she gets to the entrance of the throne room she pauses and puts Rhaenys down. There were no guards outside, in his paranoia, Aerys had ordered so many executions of the royal guards that most of the ones left alive had deserted.

Inside was Aerys and Jaime Lannister. Jaime was sort of like a hostage just like her but now his people were at the gates with weapons. She didn’t trust Jaime, he seemed like the type who could push a child out a window without hesitation if he had to, but she trusted Tywin even less. And Aerys well he was evil in a lot of ways but he was not a kin-slayer.

Taking a deep breath she adjusts Aegon in her arms and grips Rhaenys’ hand tightly. Then she opens the door “Your Grace forgive my intru…”

Elia trails off.

Aerys was dead, a pool of blood at his feet and a sword in his heart, Jaime Lannister stood over him. Jaime Lannister was looking back at her blood and a shocked expression on his face his hand in the hilt of the blade that was in Aerys.

The stench of blood and burned things slams into her making her stumble back.

Its Rhaenys’ little gasp that makes Elia (and Jaime) come out of shock. _Her children._ She lets go of Rhaenys’ hand and instead covers her eyes pulling Rhaenys close by her head. Rhaenys steadys herself by clinging to Elia’s legs.

“Princess” Jaime moves stumbling on the steps of the throne as he approaches her.

“DON’T COME ANY CLOSER” Elia yells and Jaime puts up his hands. He doesn’t move but he continues to talk.

“Aerys he was … he was going to burn everyone. I had to princess I had to.” 

Elia barely registers what Jaime was saying but she pulls herself together soon enough. She interrupts Jaime who was repeating himself over and over again. “Your father is at the gates with his men.”

That statement seems to confuse Jaime Elia notes. So, he wasn’t in on whatever his father was planning. Interesting.

“Tell him to leave his men at the gate and come here. And remind him that Rhaegar won, you have seen that Robert is being held in the black cells, and Rhaegar will be back soon. If any harm befalls me or my children there will be hell to pay. Do this and we can negotiate a way that not even Rhaegar will know you are a king slayer.”

Jaime nods dumbly. Elia has to dismiss him once more before he leaves running out of the room.

“Rhaenys keep your eyes closed and hold your brother’s hand for a minute okay” Elia says gently detaching her oldest from her skirts. Rhaenys nods eyes tightly shut. Elia places Aegon on the floor, Rhaenys at the tender age of 2 was far too young to properly hold a baby, next to her and joins her children’s hands together. “Just stay there and hold his hand ok? Good girl.”

Elia pulls Jaime’s sword out of Aerys. It takes all of her strength, but it comes out in a few tugs. It is covered in Aerys’ blood.

This was proof of Jaime’s crime. Elia was glad he had left it behind in his stupor. It would serve well as leverage against Tywin or Jaime. 

Elia spends no time admiring it. She wraps the sword in a small thick tapestry that had hung on the wall. She moves fast but carefully ensuring blood would not drip out.

Then she goes to gather up Aegon in one hand Jaime’s heavy blood-soaked sword in the other.

“Okay you can give him back to me. Good girl Rhaenys you’re such a good big sister”

Once Aegon is in her arms she tells Rhaenys to open her eyes and just look at mommy. “I can’t carry you but I need you to follow me okay? Good”

They manage to make it back to Elia’s room safely. Elia places Aegon gently on the bed and Rhaenys sits next to him.

Elia bolts the door then goes to open her trunk. The trunk had been a gift from her parents. It was large, heavy, and had a hidden compartment that no one but she knew about. Elia opens up to the hidden compartment that held a few bottles of poison, a bottle of little blue pills, a balm, and a poisoned dagger in its sheath. Elia careful moves the vials, the bottle, and the balm out onto the floor. She slips the dagger into her smallclothes that covered her breasts. Then she places Jaime’s sword in the trunk and thanks the blessed 7 it fits.

Elia moves the vials of poison, the bottle of pills, and the balm in the drawer in her desk.

She smells the air again. The Lannister soldiers had not come any closer she could smell it. They were still at the gate. So, Jaime had kept his promise after all.

Elia debates about whether to take her children with her back to that gruesome scene to negotiate with Tywin and Jaime or to leave them here to rest in her chambers.

In the end she takes them with her. She wanted them by her side. After all, it was her and her alone that would protect them. They had no one else here.

…

The negotiations go better than expected. It doesn’t happen in throne room by Aerys’ corpse like Elia thought it would. Mainly because Aerys had been set on fire and now the entirety of the throne room is on fire. The flames were controlled but the smoke was billowing everywhere.

Elia is not surprised that Tywin wasted no time getting rid of the evidence. Jaime was wearing new clothes too and the blood had been washed off his hands and face.

She never finds out why Tywin is here with his men, though she strongly suspects bad information, she has no proof.

She thanks the warrior again for Rhaegar’s victory and Robert’s presence in the black cells as proof of it. Had Robert won there was no doubt in Elia’s head that she and her babes would be dead.

4 main things were ironed out in the negotiations.

  1. Elia would support the story that Aerys had died because of an accident involving the wildfire that he loved to play with. No one, not even Rhaegar, would know otherwise.
  2. Tywin would help rebuild (financials and logistics/planning/labor would be his responsibility) the realm _and_ he would use only Dornish sand for construction. He would buy this sand from Dorne at a set price of 12 coppers per pound. Pricey but not extraordinarily so.
  3. Elia would push for the honorable removal of Jaime from the Kingsguard so that he may be Tywin’s heir.
  4. Elia would support the story that Tywin had brought his bannermen all the way here on Aerys’ orders. They would use the excuse of Aerys’ well-known paranoia to pretend he had ordered Tywin to bring troops.



Tywin had pushed to get the sword back from Elia but she stood her ground and refused. That was the best leverage she had to ensure Tywin would keep his promises. It had annoyed him, scraped his pride, to be told no by a _Dornish omega._

…

The first thing she does after the fire has been put out and Tywin Lannister has left is send a letter to her brothers. She writes in Rhynoish, the old language of Dorne, that even in Dorne only a few (like her brothers) could read.

She tells them everything including the fact that Jaime was a kingslayer and that she would be keeping it a secret from Rhaegar and Rhaella and every other person on this planet.

She feels a bit of pride when she informs them that Tywin would be buying their sand for 12 coppers a pound.

She asks that Oberyn come as soon as he can.

She doesn’t forget to ask about Uncle Lweyn who had been heavily injured during the war and had been taken back to Dorne by the other Dornish soldiers.

…

The exhaustion of the day makes sleep come easy. Elia dreams of nothing.


	2. perhaps we were not made for joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter-Specific Warnings: Misogyny, mentions of implied non-con groping

Elia winces as she looks at her mating gland in the mirror of her dressing table. It was raw and pink. The skin was so puffed up from inflammation that you could hardly make out the scar left from Rhaegar’s bite.

It was still throbbing very painfully but Elia was glad that it had stopped bleeding at least.

She lets out a sigh.

Its because of the balm. Elia opens the drawer of the desk and pulls it out.

It was a waxy substance, citrusy and acidic. A scent blocker made to hide the smell of an omega. Elia had been smearing this on her gland everyday since Aerys had died. She had been putting it on for a little over a month now.

It wasn’t made to be used long term like this.

It really wasn’t made for mated omegas either though the status of the omega didn’t really affect its function. It was just usually mated omegas didn’t have a need for it.

After all, an omega’s smell changed once her gland was bitten. It would mix with the scent of the alpha that bit her and act as a warning and a deterrent. Unless the other Alpha was significantly stronger or too far gone into a rut.

Rhaegar was one of the, if not the strongest, alphas in the country so Elia had not thought to hide her scent even after he had left.

But then Tywin Lannister had brought his lap dog Gregor Clegane to the palace. Elia had never smelled a more disgusting alpha in her life. He was putrid like wet garbage mixed with diarrhea left to ferment outside on a hot day.

Gregor had been _obviously interested_ (though Tywin’s presence kept him in check) despite Rhaegar’s scent. His interest had been scary and another reminder of the dangers she faced as an omega that was **alone**.

So, she started covering her scent.

Elia hesitates before dipping her fingers into the balm and spreading it on her gland hissing at the burn. It hurt.

She pushes the traitorous thoughts supplied by the omega part of her mind, _Rhaegar alpha dragon big and strong will be back today no need to apply mate will protect_ , to the back of her mind. She knows better than to trust that.

…

Even though it was nearly noon the daylight was dim. Dark storm clouds were covering the sky pouring down rain with lightning and thunder.

Elia thinks the weather was quite fitting.

Rhaegar’s wagon, a rather unassuming thing, arrives in King’s Landing faster than Elia had been expecting. She gathers her children quickly and readies them herself.

Rhaenys is dressed in a red and gold gown that complements her dusky complexion. Elia does her hair into two neat buns with matching golden and red ribbons. Her look is finished with a black and red Targaryen cloak that was tailor made for her size.

For Aegon, a miniature version of Rhaegar, Elia chooses a small black and red doublet with the Targaryen Sigil on it. Elia coos and blows kisses at her son as she dresses him. Then she wets her hands slightly and combs Aegon’s hair with her fingers.

Only after her children are dressed does Elia move to get ready herself. Elia chooses a red dress, closer to a Lannister red than a Targaryen one, to wear. It’s very tight around her breasts the way all her gowns were now that she was nursing her second child. Maybe now that things were settling down, she would be able to get some better fitting gowns. That thought brings to mind the realm’s account books that were all in red and Elia holds back a sigh. Or maybe not.

Elia combs her hair, the tips of it touching her butt, but leaves it down. She uses it to cover her neck so that no one would see the unsightly bruised gland.

…

Rickard and Brandon Stark, whom Elia had ordered to be released from the black cells on the day of Aerys’ death, are already on the patio at the small secret side entrance of the keep when Elia walks in with her children. She is not surprised to see them having been the one to invite them.

They rise to greet her. Thankfully, there is no need to make small talk for long as the ones they were waiting arrive.

Rhaegar’s smell hits her even through the rain before he exits the wagon. He smells of musk and smoke mixed in with other notes that Elia wasn’t really familiar with. They were notes that Elia had only smelled once before, at Harrenhal.

There is a familiar prickle in the back of her throat and Elia tells herself to keep it together. She had known for months now that Rhaegar had been mated to Lyanna. He had smelled like this when he had returned from Dorne to King’s Landing during the war. He had smelled like this he had first held their son.

Lyanna exits first with Rhaegar behind her as the Kingsguard dismount. Rhaenys is running down the steps and through the rain at the sight of her father “PAPA!” At the same time Lyanna Stark is running through the rain and up the steps into the arms of her kin “FATHER! BRANDON!”

Elia stares at the touching Stark reunion for a good moment eyes drawn to the flurry of movement. By the time she gets it together to focus on her own daughter Rhaegar is suddenly there, in front of her, holding Rhaenys in one of his arms. It surprises her enough that she stumbles backwards and Rhaegar steadies her with his arm around her waist.

It does things, oh does it do things, to Elia to be so physically near the man she had married and mated after so long. Her vagina clenches and slick dribbles out readying her for something Elia was not planning on allowing.

And Rhaegar smells her unwitting readiness, she knows he does, with the way he draws in a sharp breath and his nostrils flare. Elia wishes spontaneous memory loss of this event would occur for both of them. She was so embarrassed.

Rhaegar releases her before she can protest his hold and he is pulling her hair back exposing her mating gland.

His confusion, worry, and anger mix together and hit her all at once overwhelming her through their bond and his scent. His emotions slam into her as though she ran into a stone wall. She acts on instinct the omega part of her brain leading the charge.

Elia stands on the tips of her toes wrapping the arm that is not holding Aegon around Rhaegar’s neck to steady herself. Not only does she nuzzle his neck murmuring TRUTHFUL (she had intended to keep the scent blocker a secret) explanations, but she also licks a hot stripe across his gland tasting rain and the salt of his skin. All the while Rhaegar is rubbing the balm off of her gland with his fingers eliciting a mix of pain and pleasure. It is when he licks her, tongue hot and heavy against her skin, that she comes to her senses. 

She pulls back immediately, and her face feels hot from embarrassment. Elia can feel the gaze of everyone: Starks, Rhaegar, Kingsguard, Rhaenys, and even baby Aegon on her. She clears her throat and brings her hair back around her neck to cover her gland.

“You must be tired from your journey. Let’s head inside.”

…

Her head throbbed and her muscles were still weary but Lyanna was happy. She was so very happy.

“Come now that’s enough sit up.”

At her father’s words Lyanna gently pulls herself out of her father’s embrace and sits up straight in her own chair. She smiles automatically at the sight of father and brother and they give her small gentle smiles in return.

Brandon moves to gently wipe away the wetness under her eyes a remainder of the many tears she had cried. She had sobbed apologies into her father and brother’s arms for quite a while.

They had scolded her, far less harshly than she deserved, she knows but then they had forgiven her. And, this always brings tears to Lyanna’s eyes, they had welcomed Lyanna’s pregnancy (and grudgingly accepted that she was mated and married to Rhaegar). Though initially they were shocked and seemed unsure, in the end her father had embraced her with a kiss atop her head and Brandon had spun her around “I’m going to be an uncle!”

“Don’t start crying again you crybaby” Brandon warns her teasingly with fondness in his voice. Lyanna punches him in the arm “I’m not a crybaby” she says with a watery grin.

Brother and sister enjoy a moment before their father clears his throat. Rickard Starks face is serious now as he asks “when do you intend to speak with princess Elia?” The atmosphere in the room turns serious and awkward at once.

Lyanna’s face heats up in embarrassment and her voice is small when she speaks. “Rhaegar said he would speak to her first.”

Rickard nods “you need to speak to her as well, Lyanna. Your brother and I, while we know you had no foul intentions, you have played a part in her difficulties. For that you must apologize.”

  
Lyanna nods vigorously, “I will father I will.”

Rickard acknowledges her response with a pat on her head before continuing to speak. “The Starks we … we owe the princess a debt. Were it not for the princess your brother and I would have ended up dead at the hands of the mad king.” Rickard pauses the air heavy before continuing. “Be good to her and her children, Lyanna. Perhaps others would pay a price in blood and seek a sole throne but that is not the way of the north. Do your duty with honor.”

Lyanna’s shoulders relax slightly as a tension she did not know she had been carrying lifted. Her father would accept that her position is a shared one and that her children will not be heirs. She always knew that her father would never ask her to do something so cruel as other lords might have. But … her father was a strong and noted politician after all. And so there had been a little fear in her heart but it was now relieved with her father’s words. Her father was a good man in the end.

Lyanna needs a moment to collect herself, looking down at her hands, before replying “All of my actions have been for love, not for the throne.”

There is silence before Lyanna receives reassurance “I believe you my daughter I do.”

They move on to an even more awkward topic. “Do you plan on speaking with Robert?” The question catches Lyanna off guard and she does not answer.

Lyanna does not know how to feel about Robert. She should feel bad she supposes. While others might have been touched that a man had waged war for them for Lyanna it was not a romantic gesture. It was an overbearing one. He was not a man that she wanted to come after her.

Once again, Robert had ignored everything, did what he wanted, and wrecked everything. And he was still alive and well while others were not. Was it immoral that she did not feel even a little bad about his fate?

Her brothers and father may be sympathetic to him but that was because they did not know Robert as she did. He was not overbearing, pushy, and domineering towards her father Brandon, or Ned. He did not leer down their tops or taunt them about the size of their bottoms with uncouth words and secret groping hands under the guise of familiarity and friendly affection. Robert did not call them _“his bitch to do with as he pleased”_ or laugh at their aspirations to be things other than “ _a cock worshipping omega whore who will pleasure me until she bleeds even when fat with my babe.”_

Rickard nods again thinking that he understood though Lyanna said nothing. “I will take care of Robert there is no need for you to see him Lyanna. Though he went against our wishes and rashly raised the banners for war, instead of allowing more time for discussion, he did it for you and for us.”

Lyanna bites her tongue at that. Robert did it for himself, for the glory and the treasure. To him Lyanna was a treasure, in the most literal sense, she knew. Though she wishes more than anything for her family to understand what Robert was truly like she says nothing.

She had tried telling her brother, the most understanding and sympathetic of all her brothers, Ned, once and even he had not understood. “He will stop his affairs after marriage” her brother had said, as though that was the biggest issue (and not his lack of respect for her), in defense of his friend “he truly likes you Lyanna.”

It had been difficult to even attempt trying to tell her brother the first time. And it was far too difficult now.

Her father continued on unaware of the inner turmoil Lyanna was going through.

“Your mate will be king. Ask him to spare Robert and have him sent to the wall. We will take care of him there.”

Sending Robert to the wall did not sound like such a bad idea. Lyanna nods and tells her father she would.

…

_“Oh Alpha, yes yes I love you. You’re so good to me and you listen to me and you respect me and and you make me so happy.”_

Rhaegar grunts in response his mate’s words bringing him to finish. As his knot swells inside her he burrows his face into the crook of her neck nibbling on her sweaty skin. He is careful not to crush her with his weight as he adjusts their positions so that she lay atop of him instead.

He and Lyanna lay there for while just breathing enjoying the hazy aftermath of their lovemaking. Rhaegar absentmindly runs his hand in a little circle in the middle of Lyanna’s lower belly which swelled out evidence that his babe was growing in there.

He cannot stop thinking about the only other woman who had grown his children inside her belly as well. Elia Martell _Targaryen_.

His reunion with her had been … disappointing? Underwhelming? not at all what he had imagined.

Elia she, she was just as lovely as she had been on the day he left. He had wanted nothing more from the moment he laid eyes on her again, on that little patio in the garden, than to take her right there. To make her flutter around his cock his name on her tongue as her eyes rolled back in ecstasy. 

He had planned to spend this whole day soothing and reassuring her and their children. They were to spend the whole day lounging about.

 _Oh, his darling Rhaenys his sweet princess his first born._ _He was to indulge all her wishes today (and every other day as well), play all the games and sing all the songs that she desired. Surely, her amusement was his life’s purpose._ _How he had missed her the light of his life. His child need only glance at the stars with want in her eyes and he would travel to the edge of the sky to pluck them for her._

And his son. _Aegon. His miniature. Simply a glance at him made Rhaegar’s chest puff out in pride. Only a few months old and already so smart and handsome. His son. His heir. His baby boy. Rhaegar wanted to hold him and shelter him in his arms forever._

_Elia Martell Targaryen. Rhaegar intended her to spend this day lightly dressed. No small clothes. No petticoats. Nothing but one of her sheer almost (not fully - because of the children) transparent Dornish dresses. Rhaegar would just enjoy the sight of her, simply laying about, or better yet breast-feeding his son, until it was time for the children’s naps. Then, then he would touch. He would touch and she would love it and she would tell him how terribly she missed him. He would tell her, truthfully, that he had missed her more. Perhaps she would even throw a fit and Rhaegar would indulge it. He would kiss away her tears and then deliciously reprimand her for listening to such **obvious lies** with a few swats to her bottom. Then he would take her from the back and sink his teeth into her mating gland once more. _

Then later in the day, towards dinner time, he would introduce them to Lyanna. His children would love her and Lyanna would love them he was certain of that. And Elia, she would be feeling secure after Rhaegar’s efforts, and a friendship, no _a love_ between the two woman would happen easily and naturally. They would build on the friendship they had forged at Harrenhal and kept alive through letters afterwards.

This whole affair it would end happily.

In his imaginations of a reunion Rhaegar had forgot that the gods had not fashioned him for happy ending.

Everything went wrong.

First, before the reunion even takes place, before he even gets out of the wagon, he is thrown off by Elia’s scent. Elia was supposed to smell like caramel, cinnamon, and the smoke of Dornish sweetwood. And she was supposed to smell like _him_. And she does, except there is a harsh overpowering burnt orange undercurrent to her scent with a tinge of the smell of blood.

His mate, Elia’s gland was bruised and raw, and the reason it was so. Rhaegar bites the inside of his cheek to hold back the growl not wanting to wake Lyanna.

Other alphas had wanted her, had not respected her, despite his scent because he had not been there. Just thinking about makes Rhaegar heated. 

The rest of the day had not been much better. His daughter running up to him and the few moments he had to indulge and spoil her were the highlights of his month.

He had wanted to spend more time with Elia and their children, but he had been whisked away to deal with matters of the realm almost immediately. It turns out the rumors that he had heard, about his father being dead, were true. Rhaegar doesn’t know how to feel but thankfully he does not have to dwell on the matter for long.

Elia had sat so far from him during the meetings. When they had time alone all she had wanted was to know if she and the children would be thrown out and/or if Aegon would be replaced as his heir. “No, no of course not” he had replied horrified that she felt the need to ask those questions.

Not only had she not permitted his touch, but she had not allowed him to explain either. Does not allow him to express his regrets for his mistakes, _I am sorry Elia I should have taken you and the children along like we had planned. I did not know that a war would happen._

Elia does not hide the distrust she has developed for him.

_“I am weary Rhaegar I have held everything together for this long, for so long, while you played in my motherland. Give me some time to rest before I must listen to your lies.”_

How was Rhaegar supposed to respond to that? Anything he said would sound like a lie.

But then she had not even shown up for dinner. Sending an excuse through Jaime Lannister. Had not even allowed him another glance at her or babes though he had been separated from them for so long.

It had been just him, Lyanna, Rickard and Brandon Stark for dinner. Only Lyanna’s presence allowed him to stomach the food.

The Starks did not hide their distrust (or dislike) of him either. Once again it is only his enchanting, she-wolf that holds his hand and keeps him afloat in the sea of regret and wretchedness he feels he is drowning in.

He holds Lyanna tighter in his arms wishing that there was another woman, a specific woman, here with them as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the chapter! Leave a comment I love to read them!


	3. Settling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Hope Everyone is safe and healthy!
> 
> I know its been a while but its been a crazy time.

Winterfell, The North

Ned Stark crouches down to examine the half frozen slowly bleeding corpse of a boar. Vultures and crows sat on low hanging branches nearby watching him curiously. It felt ominous. Boars were not common in the North. The weather here did not permit them to live well. That was how Ned knew this was one of the boars Robert had gifted him.

They had been gifted before the end of the war, of course.

Ned shook his head, now was not the time to be thinking of other things.

He had gone to the pig pen with some men, that had been built to help protect the boars from the cold, with the intention of culling all of the rest of the pack, to ensure the people of Winterfell would have some meat, before he left for Kings Landing.

They were already dead when Ned arrived. Half-eaten with chunks of flesh and red snow underneath. It was a gory scene. The strangest thing about was it though was that everything had been frozen into ice. Hard solid ice.

It was not winter yet in Winterfell. It was far too early for things to be freezing. In fact, nothing else was frozen like that. It was strange.

The fencing for the pen had been broken as well so Ned and others went in search of tracks, perhaps it had been a thief?

That was how he had come across this boar. Ned’s knees cracked as he rose unhappy at him having crouched for so long. Ned ignored it as he dragged the dead boar through the snow. He tied a rope around it then attached it to the saddle of his horse so his horse could help him drag it home.

They would burn the corpse with branches of the Godswood trees, in a cleansing ceremony to ward off evil, just in case. Just in case.

Ned leaves for Kings Landing a few days later in the midst of whispers. Stories and rumors were flying and though nothing was certain the people were sure they knew what it was.

The wives and mothers of his guards press pouches of dried godswood flowers into their hands with a warning as they left. “ _Be careful of the Whitewalkers."_

…

King’s Landing, **ABOUT A MONTH AFTER RHAEGAR AND LYANNA’S RETURN**

Lyanna had a terrible habit.

Well, she had many terrible unladylike habits according to gossipy lords and ladies, but this one was one of the few that upset Rhaegar.

“Lyanna” Rhaegar said softly. Lyanna turned to him face him but he wasn’t looking at her face. His focus was on her hands.

Her hands which were clenched into fists so tight that her knuckles were white, and her nails dug into her palms deep enough to leave indentations that wouldn’t fade for a while. At least this time she hadn’t drawn blood.

Rhaegar gently pried her fingers open one-by-one and brought her open palms to his face to press delicate kisses on them.

“It will be alright my love” Rhaegar says his voice warm and his breath hot against her neck as he spoke in her ear. He presses a kiss on her mating gland before moving back to lean against the seat of the carriage.

He holds one of her hands in his large ones. He runs the callouses of his fingers over the ones on her own creating a warm friction of rough skin on rough skin.

When he bored of that he moved to rub her stomach where their babe was growing. She was at 5 months now so she was definitely showing.

Lyanna pouts at him still as nervous as ever.

They were going to visit the orphanage. The biggest one in Flea bottom. No doubt it had gotten bigger after the war.

She felt nervous … and guilty. Very guilty. It made her feel nauseous.

She knew Rhaegar felt the same even if he didn’t say it. She could tell by the way he couldn’t manage to sit still since they entered to carriage and the way his hands had to always be doing something.

But he had a steel that she didn’t have. The crown prince, the eldest son, trained since birth to accept responsibility for the people. People always die. There will always be orphans, hunger, and criminals.

Responsibility for the masses was a game of numbers. A ruler had to do what was best for the majority.

It was a painful lesson that he (and Elia he was sure) knew but his Lyanna was still learning.

The third head had to come soon. A war far worse than the one that had just happened was coming. If Lyanna and Rhaegar had not done what they had to do in the future, Rhaegar was sure, there would be no orphans.

Because then everyone would be dead.

One day they would understand. Rhaegar gently rubbed Lyanna’s stomach. And that would be the day Rhaegar would show the nay sayers just how mad he is. Anyone, be it an orphan or a lord, that had made his queens feel guilty over a just decision … _he would burn them all_.

Lyanna and Rhaegar ride in silence with nothing but the dulled sounds of the city outside filling the carriage.

Elia greets them when they arrive at the orphanage. Rhaegar can’t help but glare at her and her main escort, Jaime Lannister, when they come out as Rhaegar and Lyanna disembark.

Elia was supposed to have traveled together with him and Lyanna today. In fact, it was something she hadn’t even raised a fuss about. This was their first outing after Rhaegar’s return and he had wanted to show a united front. She had agreed.

Elia had slipped away while he was bathing. His daughter came with a note of explanation (Elia wanted to go before the children at the orphanage awoke to discuss some things with the director [a septa], Rhaegar and Lyanna could not come with because they were very distracting and would cause a large disturbance _– nothing would get done Rhaegar please understand_ ).

Rhaenys had also been tasked with “ _distracting papa for 10 minutes while mama prepares a surprise!”_

Rhaenys _easily_ completed her rather challenging task what-with-the-fact-that-he-was-wrapped-around-her-little-finger. But no more than 10 minutes. Rhaegar and Lyanna left far earlier than planned.

It had been all giggles and kisses with Rhaenys but Rhaegar was truly upset with Elia. Even more so now when he smelt that burnt orange smell (although she had told him in her note that she would be wearing it). Rhaegar had seen it just last night and it was only just started to heal! His mating bite marks could scarcely be seen on the swollen, burnt, tortured flesh of her mating gland. That was how puffed up and wounded it was! She was just wounding it some more.

But she had to wear the scent blocker. She had too. Elia had not allowed him to scent her properly once more yet. Though a mated omega (and alpha) should always have a current of their mates scent (their biology changed after they were mated – it was a protective evolution) with recent events it wasn’t strong enough for Elia or himself to feel comfortable.

Elia not being properly scented was a huge reason why Rhaegar was so angry. It wasn’t safe. It made him nervous to think of her somewhere without him.

But his Dornish wife apparently had quite the bravado.

Rhaegar’s annoyance may have had everyone else on edge, though all of the children were too young to have presented and all the adult staff were betas (the most common designation; omegas were the rarest) and they could not scent his anger (the way his guards, her guards, and Jaime Lannister did) but the aura of a very annoyed alpha, especially a strong one was hard to hide.

Elia though acts unaffected, unhindered, unbothered as though nothing was wrong.

He should be more annoyed. But he finds himself mollified instead.

She raises slightly on her toes to greet Lyanna with a kiss on the cheek hands holding Lyanna’s shoulders lightly for balance. Lyanna grasps Elia’s forearms to give her more support on the uneven roadway. Lyanna returns the greeting with a shy smile.

Next is a greeting for him, this time Elia has to get up on the very tips of her toes, forced to lean heavily on him for support when he doesn’t lower his face even slightly for her. He has one arm wrapped around Elia’s waist and Lyanna’s having them in a huddle around him. As he returns her greeting Elia unconsciously, automatically, tilts her head to the side offering up her mating gland as an offering. A poor bruised and burned offering.

It takes him by surprise causing him to still for a moment.

Heavy petting, kissing, sucking, and _biting_ is considered scandalous wanton behavior among good company but Rhaegar could care less right now.

His original bite mark could hardly be seen and he was going to fix that right now.

He is a moment too late because Elia seems to have come to her senses as well. She slips a hand through the opening of his cloak and slides it up the outside of his tunic.

Shielded by the formation of their huddle, no one but Lyanna and Rhaegar see Elia pinch Rhaegar’s nipple through his tunic and twist it.

It happens so fast that by the time Rhaegar realizes what happened Elia was rubbing his right pec soothing the pain, her hand hidden between his cloak and his shirt.

“Control yourself” she says lowly like a mother to an overly enthusiastic child. Rhaegar thinks Elia is going to follow that with some iteration of “ _we are among good company_ ” but she doesn’t. Instead, with a blush overtaking her face as she pulls her hand away, she says “the balm…it will burn your mouth.”

Petulant, Rhaegar thinks as Elia slips away from him to return to attending the septa. His nipple throbbed unused to such brutality.

Lyanna disguises a snort of laughter as a cough as she follows behind Elia at the other queens beckoning. The hold hands, they interlace their fingers, good at playing nice in front of untrusted company. 

The trip is sobering but as he expected. The distribute toys and treats among the little ones who were just waking (and the non-orphans who were sneaking in). The guards place a few bags of dried foods in the storage area in the back while Rhaegar and his queens did an inspection of the orphanage.

Rhaegar plays a few songs on a small lyre brought as a gift while his queens play with the children. The crowd of children (and adults) seems to get bigger as time goes on and word spreads the royal family was here.

Rhaegar is happy to see that despite being run by a septa the children of the orphanage, do not seem to discriminate against Lyanna, a follower of the old gods, as he had worried they would. Indeed, both queens seemed equally liked.

Rhaegar too, was welcomed quite graciously with congratulations for his victory. Rhaegar thanks them with a smile but its awkward. He wishes they wouldn’t.

Elia comments on it wryly, leaning in towards Lyanna, “I told you there was no need to worry did I not, my lady? Even in your absence …” Elia shoots a glance at Rhaegar who stood close enough to hear their murmured conversation, “the people will always love their prince Rhaegar and his lady Lyanna.”

Elia straightens after that statement and flashes them a sarcastic smile. Elia slips away from them, like a snake, before either he or Lyanna can respond. Elia wades into the crowded room of children, crouching down to play, using the ones that tugged at her dress like a shield from unwanted conversations.

The trip ends around noon as lunchtime approaches. Pleasantries and flattery are exchanged along with good-byes as the visit wraps up.

It was not the most pleasant of trips but Rhaegar views it positively. The condition of the orphanage (and the city) was the best it could be for now, there were many improvements that could be made, but it was a step in the right direction. He was getting things in order and he could check this off his list for now.

Rhaegar helps Lyanna and Elia (he wouldn’t let her slip away this time) into the carriage before climbing in himself and shutting the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We will have an Elia POV next chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all like it! Love to read comments so leave one below!


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